Servicemembers and their families often experience difficulty in completing a college degree because of frequent relocation. There are two main options available to them.
The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) offers programs leading to an Associate’s degree in scientific and technical fields of study.
The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) is a network of more than 1,700 college and universities that help servicemembers and their families obtain Associate’s, Bachelor’s and graduate degree programs despite frequent relocation. These colleges have agreed to limit academic residency requirements for servicemembers and their families. Many colleges offer classes through distance learning. The SOC program is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). A subset of the colleges offer specialized programs for each branch of service, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard.